Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has said that New Zealand team should not be "taken lightly" ahead of a three-Test match series starting on Thursday, just because they lost to Bangladesh.
"It was a little shocking to see New Zealand go down to Bangladesh," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Harbhajan, as saying.
"But we should not think that we can beat New Zealand easily just because they lost to Bangladesh. We will have to stay focused. We are really looking forward to the challenge of playing New Zealand. If we play to our potential we can beat the Kiwis also," the 30-year-old, who has 368 wickets from 87 Tests, added.
'It's a fresh start for us'
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori said that the Bangladesh tour was extremely disappointing, but he hopes to recover from the embarrassing 4-0 one-day series loss to Bangladesh and rectify that in India.
''It's a fresh start for us. It's Test cricket and we have new players here and they have not been affected by what happened in Bangladesh. When you lose 4-0, no matter to whom, you should expect a lot of criticism. Hopefully, it can be a catalyst for us in improving all facets of our game," he added.
'Facing India at home is toughest challenge'
Vettori has also said facing a top team like India on their home turf is the toughest challenge.
"It's the toughest challenge, to face the top team in their own conditions," The Age quoted Vettori, as saying.
"The talent and success they (India) have is awesome, while we are at the opposite end of the spectrum," he added.
On the new faces in the team, Vettori said: "It is a huge opportunity for them to perform against some of the finest players in the world."
The second Test will be played in Hyderabad from November 12-16 and the third in Nagpur from November 20-24. The Tests will be followed by five One-Day Internationals from November 28.
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